Spokane-based restaurant People's Waffle is expanding into North Idaho with a second venue opening May 22, at 400 N. Fourth, in downtown Coeur d'Alene.

The expansion marks the second brick-and-mortar location for People's Waffle, continuing the growth of a brand that began as a food truck before establishing its first space in 2021 at the Symons Block building, at 15 S. Howard, in downtown Spokane.

The 3,400-square-foot Coeur d'Alene location accommodates seating for 87 patrons, which is twice the capacity of the Spokane eatery, says co-owner Jacy Janson.

Alyssa and Bryan Agee began operating People's Waffle as a food truck in 2020. In 2021, Janson joined the business as a server, eventually working her way up to taking partial ownership of the Spokane space, Janson explains.

The Coeur d'Alene restaurant location operates as a three-woman partnership. Janson is the majority owner of the Coeur d'Alene space and works with Alyssa Agee and Robin Felsing as partners, who have previously worked together in the food industry. Felsing has over 20 years of food industry and management experience that she brings to the table, explains Janson.

People's Waffle wouldn't be possible without Agee's grandmother's recipe, Janson asserts.

"GeGe's gluten-free batter recipe is the foundation of People's Waffle," says Janson. "Without that recipe and the food truck Alyssa and Bryan Agee started, we wouldn't be here."

The Coeur d'Alene space came together quickly once Janson identified a building that met the business's goals, she says, adding that it was a turnkey transition.

Plant Gossip, a vegan and organic eatery, previously occupied the restaurant space. Janson declines to disclose the move-in cost.

"It was a restaurant before us," Janson says. "So it was really nice because we were able to just assume the space aside from installing brand new equipment for the waffle shop. They even left us the tables and chairs for customers, so that really made our lives easier."

The extra room will allow People's Waffle to operate more efficiently at twice the capacity, and Janson says she hopes that turns into double the revenue. 

Both Spokane and Coeur d'Alene restaurants have the same gluten-free menu and operate daily from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Five to six full-time employees are expected to work at the new location. The North Idaho restaurant will also host private events after hours.

The menu includes typical brunch offerings such as the Plain Jane, featuring two waffles topped with toasted Swiss meringue and fresh strawberry. People's Waffle also will serve a variety of "wafflewiches," which are sandwiches made with waffles instead of bread, Janson says.

"People are trying to find a good balance of convenience and whole foods," Janson says. "Which is really nice because it shows continued interest in quality over quantity."

People's Waffle also incorporates specialty coffees, teas including matcha, and mimosas as part of their drink menu, she says. Also exclusive to the North Idaho location is a whole-orange juicer, Janson adds.

Looking ahead, Janson says she's expecting to spend the first year as the in-house operations manager at the Coeur d'Alene restaurant, helping ensure it gets established with Janson's specific growth goals in mind.

Within three to five years, Janson says she hopes to identify another space and expand into other regional towns.

"We do want to expand further," Janson says. "We just need to make sure we grow with maintainable purpose. I came into this company with the chance to eventually buy into ownership and want to offer the same in this restaurant."

By expanding into a comparable food market, Janson aims to twofold the business's earnings while furthering the brand's mission of nourishment and fostering community connections.

People's Waffle utilizes Spokane-based Charlie's Produce LLC as its primary distributor. Janson says other regional partnerships include URM Stores Inc., of Spokane, and Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters, of Sandpoint, Idaho.

"We want to help nourish the community and foster our connections," says Janson. "We do that by feeding our local neighborhoods local supplies because where you get your food really does matter."